A lot of games seem to be popular based on the liberty of their modding scene and I don't think FFXIV is any exception. I've always thought if Square Enix took a hard stance on mods, they would actually unironically just self-immolate. Mare isn't quite that considering people can still personally enjoy mods, but I think it's pretty devastating to a large portion of the playerbase.

I know there is some mention that "this will definitely be coming back" but it's actually my preference that it DOESN'T just to satisfy my curiosity. Somebody could take Mare's place but I really hope they don't. I even hope Square Enix goes harder on the issue. I can't say this enough, but for better or worse? It's exciting.